Sacramento shooting: At least six dead in centre of California state capital

At least six people have been killed and nine injured in a shooting in the centre of Sacramento, police in California's state capital say.

People fled through the streets after automatic gunfire rang out in an area packed with restaurants and bars, and numerous ambulances were dispatched.

Police officers closed off an area between 9th Street and 13th after the shooting in the early hours of Sunday.

They gave no immediate details about who may have been behind it.

"Please avoid the area as a large police presence will remain and the scene remains active," police said.

The area where the shooting took place leads to the Golden One Center, where the Sacramento Kings play basketball, and is only a few streets from the state Capitol building.

Community activist Barry Accius arrived at the scene at about 02:30 (09:30 GMT) after a city council member called him about the shooting, he told ABC affiliate station KXTV.

"It was just horrific," he said. "Just as soon as I walked up you saw a chaotic scene, police all over the place, victims with blood all over their bodies, folks screaming, folks crying, people going, 'Where is my brother?' Mothers crying and trying to identify who their child was."